Tracker-board.



Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

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FRANK C. WHITE, OF-MERDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TEE WILCOX & W'HITECOMPANY, 0F MERIDEN, GGNNECTIGUT, A CORPRATON OF CONNECTICUT.

TRACKER-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 2, 1909 Application filed December 24, 1908. Serial No.469,092.

cut, have inventedcertain .new and useful improvements in7lracker-Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact deiscription.

My invention relates to trackers i'or niechanical players for pianos,organs and the like. i

My object aims at providing a tracker either an eighty-eightnote musicsheet or roll, or with sixty-five note sheet or roll,

said tracker having two independent rows ot' pertorations, one row beingproperly spaced foi: an eighty-eight note sheet, the other beingproperly spaced for a sixty-,tive

note sheet. lCoupled with this I employ'an improved means for throwingeither row of pertorations out of action.

K vin the accompanying drawings, Figure l is illustrati\l'e of a trackerviewed from one end and constructed to embody my in vention, there beingalso shown a sheet ot music traversing said tracker. Fig. 2 is arelatively enlarged perspective view, broken away and partly in section,of certain details. Fig. 8 is a still further enlarged detail View insection.

l is the body ot' the tracker having two independent rows ot ductstherein, one duct ot each row or set being indicated at 2-2a. The rowindicated at 2 may be assumed to be properly spaced for an eighty-eightnote music sheet-while the row indicated at 2a may be assumed to beproperly spaced for a sixty-live note sheet. 3 represents a, perforatedmusic roll or sheet arranged to traverse the tracker'. The tracker isprovided with two bearing tacos L -t, adapted respectively for the ducs2-'2a, the upper open ends of the latter being exposed in the usualmanner to be covered and uncovered by the perforated note sheet 3, inthe usual manner.

It is-obvious that with two independentrows or sets of perforations orducts, suitable means must be provided to cut out one or the other rowaccording to the particular style of note sheet selected for use. Tothat end, I provide at one edge to an abutment 6 located between thetracker bearings 1 -4a. The other a tlexible apron 5 anchored i operatesequally to edge of the apron 5 is secured to a rod T carried by asuitable swinging bracket support. .'lhis support may comprise twobrackets, one ot which is shown at 8, the

saine being pivoted at 9., ik corresponding y bracket (not shown) isprovided at the opposite end of the tracker l.

l() `1s a spring, or equivalent device, connected at one end to thebracket 5 and at the other end to the-end ot' the tracker-board i'bclowthe pivot 9. It will be seen, on reter' i ring to Fig. l, that the pullof said spring winch can be successfully employed with is in a directionas to hold the bracket in the position there indicated, in which theapron .3 will be drawn tightly over the bearing l" so to close the openupper ends of the ducts 2a, cutting them oit' entirely to the admissionot' air. these conditions, the note sheet 3 (assumed to be on theeighty-eight note sheet) will operate the instrument only through theducts It it is desired to employ a sixtylive note sheet, the operatorhas merely to swing the rod T to the lett (as viewed in Fig. l) so thatit will stand in anY opposite .1

position, thus 1carrying over the apron 5 so as to open the ducts 2fLand cover ducts 2. The flexibility of the apron 5 permits this shiftingot the rod 7 to be easily accomplished whenever desired. 'Theflexibility of the apron also prevents all danger of injury to thebearing faces ot the tracker, a matter of vital consequence in aninstrument ot this character. Beyond this, the employnient of a iexibleapron has another advantage, namely, it permits all parts thereof toquickly contorni to the bearing faces lso as to effectively seal theducts therein.

In the preferred construction, the flexible apron 5 is formed ot adoubled sheet of f vportion loosely surrmunling` the rod 'T and beingheld thereon by means ot a split tubell which so embraces the. rod 'Tand fabric as to hold the doubled portion ot the latter smoothly inplace and yet not so as to prevent the rod T ironi rotating therein, asit is shifted from one position to the other. The edges of the splittube il are preferably rounded at il"L to avoidiin jury to the fabric ofthe apron 5 (see Fig. The spring- 10 hold the bracket 8 in the positionshown in Fig. i, or in a reversed position, said spring swinging Jfromone side lt follows that, under to the other of the center 9 as rod T isshifted. The smooth upper surface of the split tube ll constitutespreferably a bearing over which the note sheet freely travels (see Fig.l) said bearing being so located as to hold said sheet somewhat abovethe immediately adjacent portion of the apron 5 whereby said sheet willtouch said apron only along a comparatively narrow line, th us reducingsurface friction to a minimum.

What I claim is:

l. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows ofducts, a shiftable fiexible apron and means to shift. the same to cutoff either one of said rows.

2. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows ofducts, ashiftable flexible apron arranged to cut off either one of saidrows, one part of said apron being anchored to said body at a pointbetween said rows.

In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two indepel-identrows ofducts, a flexible apron arranged to cut off either one of said rows, onepart of said apron being anchored to said body at a point between saidrows, and a movable bracket support connected to another part of saidapron, whereby said apron may be shifted to either of its two operativepositions.

l. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows ofducts, a. ('lexible apron arranged to cutof either one of said rows, onepart of said apron being anchored to said body at a point between saidrows, and a shiftable bracket connected to another part thereof, wherebysaid apron may be moved to either of its two operative positions, withmeans for holding said bracket in each of its operative positions.

5. ln a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows ofducts, a flexible apron arranged to cut olf one or the other of saidsets, said apron beinganchored to said body at a point between saidrows, and means to move said apron to either of its two operativepositions, with means for holding the latter Ain either one of itsoperative positions, said means operatingalso to apply tension to saidapron.

6. ln a tracker va body l having two independent air admission ducts, aclosure for said ducts, said closure comprising an apron anchored at oneedge to said body between said ducts and means whereby the rest of theapron may be swung to and fro to cover one or the other of said ducts.

7. In a tracker a body l having two indev pendent series-of airadmission ducts, an apron operating as a closure for one o1.' the otherof said series, means for holding one edge of said apron between saidseries, and means for shifting the rest of said apron into, and holdingthe same in, operative position at either side of said holding means andin position to close one or the other of said series of ducts. A

8. A double tracker having two independent sets of ducts, a flexibleclosure therefor, meanst'or shifting said closure into position to closeeither of said sets at will, said means inchnling a note sheet support.FRANK C. WHITE. lVitnesses 1 A. G. KUHNLE, C. L. Pinnen.

